Out from the city: Ostia Antica and Tivoli

You may find there’s quite enough in Rome to keep you occupied during your stay, but it can be a hot, oppressive city and if you’re around long enough you shouldn’t feel any guilt about seeing something of the countryside; and in fact two of the main attractions visitable on a day-trip from Rome are the equal of anything you can see in the city. Tivoli, less than an hour by bus east of Rome, is a small town famous for the travertine quarries nearby, the landscaped gardens and parks of its Renaissance villas, and a fine ancient Roman villa just outside. Ostia, in the opposite direction near the sea, and similarly easy to reach on public transport, was home to the port of Rome in classical times, and the well-preserved site is well worth seeing.